Tag Archives: Foster Parents

As incidents of child abuse and neglect continue to leave El Paso children in need of foster or adoptive homes, the 65th District Court and CARE (Child Advocacy Recruitment Effort) Coalition along with other community organizations that work with abused and neglected children, will host an foster/adoptive parent recruiting event.

During FY 2016, Texas Child Protective Services confirmed 2,015 victims of child abuse/neglect in El Paso County. Currently, there are 252 children in foster homes, and 70 minors who are ready and waiting to be adopted.

The CARE Coalition recruiting event is set for Thursday July 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Office Building located at 501 Hawkins.

During the foster/adoption recruiting fair, interested families and individuals will learn about the requirements to adopt a child in Texas and about the financial assistance the government offers to help pay for some of the expenses of the child.

“Through our efforts, we hope to encourage participation at whatever level prospective parents may assist,” CARE officials added, “Become an adoptive parent, a foster parent, a mentor, a school volunteer, a community volunteer, a child advocate. The possibilities are endless and the rewards are great. Join us inputting the needs of our community’s children first….Care with us.”

The El Paso CARE (Child Advocacy Recruitment Effort) Coalition is a committee comprised of court officials, prosecutors, elected officials, social service agencies, foster parents, adoptive parents, law enforcement agents and community activists. The Coalition was created through an initiative of the Model Court of the 65th District Court of El Paso County.

The event is open to the public with both English and Spanish language available. For more information, please contact Bianca Avila at 915-521- 3870 or Bianca.Avila@dfps.state.tx.us.

AUSTIN, Texas – There is a critical need for more and better-trained foster parents to care for children whose lives have been turned upside down, a new report says.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation study also said that foster parents in Texas and across the country should have more input in developing policies for the foster care system.

Kate Murphy, senior child welfare policy associate with the nonprofit group Texans Care for Children, said Texas officials are under a federal judge’s order to reform the state’s foster care system.

“The special masters did come back to the judge with about 13 pages of recommendations for ways to make Texas’s system constitutional,” Murphy said, “It doesn’t make it a perfect system, but it would make it so it’s not posing an unreasonable risk of harm to kids.”

Murphy said reforms were ordered after it was revealed that some foster kids in Texas had been subject to abuse and neglect because their caseworkers were overloaded and there were too few foster families.

The Casey Foundation report calls for Texas and other states to ensure high-quality foster care, help foster parents form strong relationships with children, and identify and recruit more foster families.

Denise Goodman, a child welfare consultant, said she agrees with the report, and that foster parents need better training and support from child welfare agencies.

“Every child that comes into a foster home is different, so that is a continual learning curve for foster parents,” Goodman said. “And the need for trauma-informed care is essential. These children have had horrific things that they’ve experienced and that they need help to heal from.”

Murphy said she is hopeful that the Texas Legislature will increase funding for foster care in its upcoming session.

“The legislators here have really started to focus on strengthening CPS and keeping kids safe. That’s clearly a legislative priority,” she said. “There have been about 10 pre-filed bills so far that focus on these issues.”

The report, “A Movement to Transform Foster Parenting,” is available at AEFC.org